Glasshouse crop workerCrop worker
Casual Counts as specified workTomato plant care: de-leafing, pollinating, twisting and lowering.
Job library › New South Wales › Guyra
Farms and orchards・Glasshouse tomato farm (operates all year)
Costa Tomatoes Guyra
Glasshouse tomato farm in Guyra, a small town on the New England tablelands
Guyra, New South Wales 2365
Specified work✓ Eligible
PayHourly rate
TransportCar needed
AccommodationFind your own accommodation
Overall score7.6・Worth considering
Specified work eligibility
Use the postcode of the work location — not the company's head office, and not where you live.
✓
This location counts as specified work
Postcode 2365 is on the Department of Home Affairs "Regional Australia" list, and the work type is "Plant and animal cultivation".
Work address
Near Guyra NSW 2365 (two glasshouse sites about 4 km east and 10 km north of the town centre; street addresses not published)
Postcode 2365・Tamworth · New England · Map location is approximate
Work category
Plant and animal cultivation
Harvesting and packing fruit and vegetables, pruning trees and vines, livestock work, and primary meat processing such as slaughtering, cutting and packing. Secondary processing such as winemaking or processed meats does not count.
Within one employer, not every role counts as specified work (for example office admin or cleaning depends on Home Affairs' current temporary concession). Check the label on each role below, and keep every payslip.How specified work days are counted
Note: on 17 September 2026 the government announced second and third visas will move to a ballot. Completing specified work makes you eligible to enter, but it no longer guarantees a visa (start date not yet announced).Details
Jobs
3 casual / seasonal roles. Duties, requirements and required licences are listed separately.
Tomato pickerTomato picker
Casual Counts as specified workPicking tomatoes in a glasshouse.
Tomato packerTomato packer
Casual Counts as specified workPacking tomatoes in the packing shed.
Work duties
Hydroponic-style glasshouse tomato production: plant care (de-leafing, pollinating, twisting, lowering), picking and packing.
Work environment
Glasshouse up to 30°C and humid (crop care / picking); packing shed cooled to 12°C; long periods standing or walking, repetitive movements and occasional work at heights. Guyra is a cold tableland town (July average low 0.9°C).
Pay and superannuation
What the employer publishes and the legal minimum are shown separately.
- Pay
- $32.26/hour (Casual Level A); skilled staff can be promoted. Hourly pay, not piece rate. The ad does not name the Award (it only gives the grade "Casual Level A").
- Applicable Award
- Horticulture Award (MA000028)
- Legal minimum hourly rate
- Level 1 (new starter, up to 3 months): $32.18/hour
Level 2: $33.05/hour
Level 3: $33.55/hour
Casual (including the 25% casual loading), effective from 1 July 2026.Fair Work pay guide - Piece-rate guarantee
- Piece rates have a floor: each day you must get at least the hourly rate × hours worked that day (casual Level 1 $32.18 an hour). The piece rate must let an average worker earn at least 15% more than the hourly rate (about $37.01). Before you start, the employer must give you a written piece-rate record signed by both of you.
- How you are paid
- To be confirmed
By law wages must be paid in money (cash, cheque or bank transfer) at least monthly; whichever method is used, the employer must give you a payslip within 1 working day of paying you. - How often you are paid
- To be confirmed
Under the Award: Paid weekly or fortnightly - Superannuation
- Yes. Your employer must also pay 12% of your wages into your super account — this applies to working holiday makers too, however much you earn. From 1 July 2026 it must be paid within 7 working days of each pay day. You can claim it back after leaving Australia (taxed at 65% for working holiday makers).
- Tax
- If the employer is registered as a Working Holiday employer, 15% is withheld on the first $45,000 of income. Being taxed 30% suggests the employer may not be registered; without a tax file number (TFN), 45% is withheld.
Statutory figures last checked: 2026-10-05. Your actual pay is what your employer's contract and payslips show.
Hours
- Usual hours
- 38 hours a week plus reasonable overtime; mostly Monday to Friday starting at 6:30 or 7:00am; picking and packing are rostered Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
- Shifts
- Day shift
- Weather-dependent?
- Not much affected by weather.
- Additional notes
- Crop care shifts are 8 hours; picking / packing shifts are 9.5 hours. Work all year, busier from October to March.
When they need workers
123456789101112
The glasshouse operates all year; October to March is busier.
Recruiting all year (ad: Tomato Picking, Packing and Crop Work Roles). The ad states that the type and location of work here meet the requirements for a further Working Holiday visa (second / third).
Hiring now
Tomato Picking, Packing and Crop Work Roles (ongoing recruitment)
Hiring status is checked automatically every day; last checked: 2026-10-06.See the job ad
How to apply
Email your resume
Before you apply
Apply by email, or use SEEK's "Apply" button on the ad page. Recruiting all year round.
Only apply through the channels listed on this page or published on the employer's official website. Legitimate employers never ask you to pay for a job; for look-alike job sites or people who message you privately, check the official website first.Avoiding illegal work
You will need
- Legal work rights in Australia
- Reliable transport to and from work
- Able to stand / walk for long periods
- Basic English reading, writing and speaking
- Able to work in a warm, humid environment (crop care / harvesting)
- Focus on health, safety and food hygiene
Restrictions
- The employer does not help with accommodation or transport
- Local accommodation is limited; people who already have stable local housing are preferred
- No public transport or taxis to the work area
Licences required
No licence is needed for general roles.
- Official website
- costagroup.com.au
- Careers page
- Go to the careers page
Legitimacy
Make sure it is a registered company that gives payslips and pays super, so your specified work days will hold up.
- Company registration
- ABN 23 870 133 940・The trustee for Tomato Exchange Unit Trust (trading as Costa (Tomato Category))・Active
View on ABN Lookup - Employment arrangement
- Employed directly by the company
- Notes
- Parent company Costa Group Holdings Pty Ltd, ABN 68 151 363 129 (Active). The employing entity on payslips has not been confirmed. Not on the Fair Farms certified farm list (checked 2026-10-05).
Transport
Car needed. The ad requires reliable transport; there is no public transport or taxi to the work area.
Getting there without a car
You cannot commute daily without a car (no public transport or taxis to the sites). To reach the area: NSW TrainLink's Northern Tablelands Xplorer runs Sydney–Armidale daily (stopping at Tamworth); NSW TrainLink coaches run north from Armidale to Tenterfield (whether they stop at Guyra was not verified).
Public transport
Armidale railway station (Xplorer to and from Sydney); Armidale town buses are run by Edwards Coaches.
Nearest airport
Armidale Airport: QantasLink to Sydney, Link Airways to Brisbane
Nearest town: Guyra (the two sites are about 4 km and 10 km out of town); the regional centre, Armidale, is 40 km away
Accommodation and local amenities
Guyra is a small town between Armidale and Glen Innes; the regional centre is Armidale, 40 km away.
Accommodation
Find your own accommodation
The ad says "We do not provide assistance with accommodation or transport". Local accommodation is limited, and people who already have stable housing locally are preferred.
Grocery shopping
Armidale has a shopping centre anchored by Woolworths, plus a Coles supermarket (East Mall).
Medical
The local weather station is called "Guyra Hospital", which shows Guyra has a hospital, but its services were not verified.
Other
Mobile coverage not verified.
Weather
Mild summers, January hottest with an average maximum of 24.5°C; very cold winters, July average minimum 0.9°C; January is wettest (118.1 mm), annual rainfall 905.8 mm (Guyra Hospital weather station).
Average maximum temperatureAverage minimum temperatureAverage monthly rainfallUnits: °C / mm (months 1–12)
See monthly figures
| Months | Average high | Average low | Rainfall | Days above 35°C | Days below 0°C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24°C | 13.3°C | 97 mm | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 22.9°C | 12.7°C | 79 mm | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 20.7°C | 11.7°C | 105 mm | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 17.2°C | 8°C | 39 mm | 0 | 0 |
| May | 13.7°C | 5°C | 40 mm | 0 | 1.4 |
| Jun | 10.2°C | 2.4°C | 48 mm | 0 | 5.3 |
| Jul | 10.2°C | 1.9°C | 39 mm | 0 | 7.7 |
| Aug | 11.9°C | 2.4°C | 51 mm | 0 | 5.5 |
| Sep | 15.3°C | 4.8°C | 46 mm | 0 | 0.9 |
| Oct | 18.3°C | 7.5°C | 67 mm | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 20.3°C | 9.4°C | 75 mm | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 22.9°C | 11.8°C | 87 mm | 0 | 0 |
Data: Open-Meteo historical weather (ERA5 reanalysis), 2016–2025 average, coordinates -30.218, 151.671. Farms in the same area may differ by 1–2°C.
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Overall score
Calculated from public information with a fixed formula — not a paid ranking. Ratings from past workers are shown separately in the reviews section.
7.6out of 10
Worth considering
Worth considering
Pros
- $32.26 an hour, not piece rate
- Stable rosters, mostly Monday to Friday with morning starts
- Glasshouse work all year, unaffected by weather
- The ad states that work here can be used to apply for a further Working Holiday visa
Watch out for
- A car is essential; no public transport or taxis to the site
- Little accommodation in Guyra; the employer does not help
- The glasshouse is hot and humid while the packing room is only 12°C; each shift means 9.5 hours on your feet
- Very cold winters on the tablelands
Weights: specified work eligibility 25%, legal and transparent 20%, pay transparency 15%, transport 10%, accommodation 10%, amenities 10%, weather 10%.How it is calculated
Online reviews and past workers' experiences
Compiled from Indeed, Glassdoor, backpacker blogs and the news. Everything is a paraphrased summary — follow the links to read the originals.
Common praise
- Indoor glasshouse work; not much affected by weather
- Hourly pay, steady hours (4 days a week)
- Friendly co-workers; some say managers care about staff
Common complaints
- Some pickers / packers feel the pay is not worth how hard the work is
- Strict management: attendance and speed matter; no phones at work
- Little flexibility for time off; very cold winter mornings
Experiences from past workers
Taiwanese blogger: 5 months packing tomatoes at Costa Tomato Exchange Traditional Chinese
In 2017 the author packed at Guyra while her boyfriend picked; they worked Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 6:30am, packers finishing around 4pm, with little overtime. Supervisors were strict about time and speed; the upside was stable, indoor work. You need your own car or a carpool.
Published: 2017-02-28・Source
News and official records
- In 2023 Costa sold the Guyra glasshouse land to Centuria and signed a 15-year lease to keep operating it (Guyra Gazette). (2023-03-08・Source)
The Indeed rating covers the whole Costa Group.
Review summary last checked: 2026-10-06. Online reviews are personal experiences and may be out of date or not reflect the whole picture; ratings change over time, so the original sites prevail.
Reviews from past workers
Worked here? Your experience can help the next person avoid mistakes.
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Reviews on other sites: Indeed (Costa Group company-wide, 94 reviews)
Sources
Last checked: 2026-10-05. If you see outdated or incorrect information, let us know.
- https://costagroup.currentjobs.co/job/tomato-picking-packing-and-crop-work-roles/guyra/2324
- https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/work-holiday-417/specified-work
- https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?abn=23870133940
- https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?abn=68151363129
- https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_056229.shtml
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guyra
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armidale
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamworth_railway_station,_New_South_Wales
- https://www.fairfarms.com.au/certification
- https://au.indeed.com/cmp/Costa-Berry-Exchange/reviews?fcountry=AU&floc=Guyra+NSW
- https://www.maruplayplay.com/working-holiday/australia/au-working/costa-tomato-exchange/
- https://www.guyragazette.com.au/news/new-owners-for-guyra-glasshouse.php
Not yet confirmed: Street addresses of the two sites are not published; coordinates are Guyra town centre; The ad does not say whether "Casual Level A" is an enterprise agreement grade or an Award grade; The actual employing entity has not been confirmed; The amenities level is an estimate: whether Guyra has a supermarket was not verified (the verified supermarkets are in Armidale, 40 km away)